Why So Shy, Tamao?
by DrakeTheDuelist
Summary: Tamao comes to live at the Asakura complex, and Hao and Lyo (OC) get into a fight over her. Who wins her heart in the end? If anyone wins at all... Chapter 7 finally up, and we're in the home stretch... Just a little more now and I'll be done...
1. Premonition

(A/N: Here comes one you may not have heard of. I've grown quite tired of YohxAnna, or "Yohna", as I've heard it called, so I wanted a change of pace. But, lazy slacker me, I didn't go back to Chibi Beginnings. (sarcastically) Boo hoo.  
  
This one's for Poor Hao, who got his name changed to 'Zeke' by those idiot dubbers at 4(torturing)Kids! But otherwise, it's a very serious fic. The couples this time, though I've emphasized that Yohna will be out of convenience only, will be as follows: HaoxTamao (wow, rhymes) and TamaoxLyo (OC, pronounced 'Leo'). Well, Lyo's not entirely an OC, but he's based on the speculated character 'Locke', Tamao's ex-childhood sweetheart, from the dub. Kinda' ironic using a dub character when I'm trying to mock the dubbers, but I'd use any excuse to make a romance not centered around Yoh and Anna. ('centered' being the key word; the two may pop up, may not, dunno right now) And, I couldn't very well have a lubby-dubby story with Hao in it. After all, Hao does go on to be a human-hating bad guy, so I can't very well have a happy ending. (Happy ending entailing something like: Tamao terrorized by bad guy, Hao finds bad guy, Hao kills bad guy, Hao and Tamao live happily ever after, DrakeTheDuelist throws up, etc.)  
  
Enough talk, time for Fanfiction! And I don't own Shaman King or Yugioh. Hmm, sorry, reflex. Not used to writing a non-crossover Shaman King. So no Yugioh.)  
  
Why So Shy, Tamao? by DrakeTheDuelist  
  
Chapter 1: Premontion  
  
(3 years ago, Asakura Complex)-----  
  
At this point, four apprentices are currently training under Yohmei Asakura. They are: Yoh Asakura, Anna Kyoyama, Hao Asakura, and Lyo. Yoh, as a shaman (general integration and communication with various spirits) is training on how to summon leaf spirits, or shikigamis. Hao, a pyrokinetic (creates and manipulates fire with his mind) practices by building up large flames. Anna, as an Itako (channeler / spirit summoner) trains under Yohmei's wife, Kino Asakura, learning the proper methods to summon spirits. And Lyo, a rookie clairvoyant (can see into the future) meditates constantly, trying to read the future through the stars, as well as watching over the obnoxious duo of his guardian ghosts, Ponchi and Konchi.  
  
But their routines and simple lives are all about to change, with the addition of a new apprentice...  
  
(late at night)-----  
  
Lyo stands outside, wearing a black gi, or martial arts uniform, with white armbands and a white belt. He stares up at the starry sky, not obscured by urban pollution.  
  
Lyo: (chanting towards the sky) "O Great Spirits of the Sky, I call on your wisdom. For you have seen all that has happened, as well as what is still to come. Show me your secrets, and send a sign to me, lending me your infinite wisdom. Paint across the tapestry of the sky, and show me the secrets that the future holds..." He continues to stare deeply into the night sky as a sleight breeze whips through his short, brown hair.  
  
Voice: (from behind Lyo, mischevous in tone) 'Hehehe. He's in a trance again."  
  
Antoher Voice: (from behind Lyo, mischevous in tone) "Hehehe. Let's surprise him..."  
  
Voice: "...and a one..."  
  
Another voice: "...and a two..."  
  
Both Voices: "Three!"  
  
Ponchi and Konchi spring up out of a bush behind Lyo, tackling Lyo in the back.  
  
Lyo: He snaps out of his stare as Ponchi and Konchi nearly tackle him to the ground. "...show me-OOF! Is that...?" He stares back at Ponchi and Konchi, who lay rolled up on the ground, overflowing with laughter at their own mischief. "I can't believe you two! I was TRYING to communicate with the spirits of the sky AGAIN, but you two successfully got in the way AGAIN!"  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They continue to laugh, rolled up on their backs, totally unable to speak.  
  
Lyo: He glares at Ponchi and Konchi, placing his hands on his hips. "Do I have to go and tell Yohmei-san that you pulled this stunt? Or are you going to let me do this uninterrupted?"  
  
Ponchi: (calming down) "Well, hehehe, stop making such, hehehe, a tempting target, ehehehe!" He bursts into laughter.  
  
Konchi: (calming down) "I mean, hehehe, when you're saying all that, hehehe, corny stuff, well, hehehe, it's just too tempting! Ahehehehe!" He bursts into laughter.  
  
Lyo: "Well, let's see how funny you think this is! I'm gonna' count to 'san', and if you don't cut out your laughing by then, I'm gonna' wake up Kyoyama-san, and she's gonna' be massively cranky at this hour, got it?! Ichi... ne... SA-"  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: Stopping their laughing, they turn towards Lyo, holding each other in their arms. "NO! NOT KYOYMA-SAN!"  
  
Lyo: "Then leave me alone!" He turns away from the two. (muttering) "And I thought it was going to be a good idea to start training with a guardian ghost...or TWO!" He holds his forehead with his right hand.  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They both simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.  
  
A shooting star races through the sky, but Lyo still holds his forehead with his hand, not paying attention to the sky.  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They point up to the sky. "OOO! Master Lyo! Look! A shooting star!"  
  
Lyo: He glares back at Ponchi and Konchi. "Like I'd fall for that old one again! Good night to you BOTH, and when I try this again tomorrow night, I'm hoping for a more successful run than this time. Do I make myself clear?!"  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They bow down at Lyo's feet, shivering in fear of what their master was going to have done with them.  
  
Konchi: "Uh, of course, Lyo!"  
  
Ponchi: "Yeah, we'll never do it again!"  
  
Konchi: "J-j-just don't tell Kyoyama-san about this!"  
  
Lyo: He turns his back on the two short, begging ghosts. "Hmph. What bakas you two can be sometimes..." He heads back into the large building nearby.  
  
(A/N: Well, a one-shot would take way too long for what I'm planning. So I wanted to stop here and take a break. Hope you like all the Japanese stuff I put in to taunt the dubbers with!  
  
Oh, and I've heard many Tamao-HoroHoro story ideas, and I want to know where that comes from! It makes no sense to me, seeing as HoroHoro and Pirika are from the mountains, and Tamao has lived and trained in the Asakura complex for a while now. Besides, HoroHoro's a major loudmouth, but Tamao's really shy in sharp contrast.  
  
Who likes Lyo so far? Not much to his character for now, but as a sneak peek, he follows his gut a lot It's gonna' be his defining characteristic, and what Hao taunts him about on many occasions. This contrasts to how Hao acts, himself being very practical in everything he does. I'm assuming that this is before Hao decided that it would be a good idea to kill off all of humanity. Yeah, I took a lot of literary license here because as cool as Hao seems, I STILL know very little about him as a villain. Oh well, I try. See ya' next time!) 


	2. Let the Battle Begin: Lyo vs Hao

(A/N: Well, last chapter, we met Lyo. Not a whole lot of personality info there, but I'm working on that, and it's only the first chapter. And this is the second chapter.  
  
Also, I would like to give a big, Drake-sized welcome to SunGodDragon, the authoric padwan who will train under me to be a very good fic writer. He's got a talent for Noah fics, and I suggest any Yugioh fans who like Noah to repent of your clear lack of taste (just kidding, no offense Noah-fans!) and pay him a visit.  
  
'Nuff said. I don't own Shaman King, so it's time to go back to the story.)  
  
Why So Shy, Tamao? Chapter 2: Let the Battle Begin: Lyo vs. Hao!  
  
(one morning)-----  
  
Lyo stood in the garden within the walls of the Asakura complex, standing totally still, and with his palms pointed to the ground. He stares at a small setup in front of him:  
  
Two tall bricks are placed as so that they stand up the tallest. On the bricks is a small, wooden plank.  
  
Lyo: He opens his eyes and stares at the plank coldly. Then, in one swift motion, he lifts his right palm and shoves it into and through the wooden plank, breaking the board in half. The two pieces fall in between the two bricks as he places another wooden plank on the bricks in front of him. Repeating the process, he puts his palm through the new plank.  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They appear behind Lyo, and begin to sneak up on Lyo. They snicker mischievously as they approach Lyo, carrying a large brick.  
  
Lyo: He proceeds to break more boards with his hands. He pauses right after the fifth board he breaks, s he takes a water bottle from near the tall bricks and takes a large gulp, setting the water bottle back down soon after. He proceeds in his routine. He raises his right palm above the board...  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: In one swift motion, they take the board off the sstack and replace the board with the heavy brick that they were carrying.  
  
Lyo: Not noticing the quick actions of the duo of guardian ghosts, he quickly shoves his palm into the brick. A small crack runs through the brick as Lyo withdraws his hand quickly. "Grrrr, OOOOOWWWWWW!"  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They break into hysterical laughter.  
  
Lyo: His voice rumbles loudly throughout the institute. "Poncheus! Koncheus!"  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They freeze up.  
  
Konchi: (worried) "Uh-oh..."  
  
Ponchi: (worried) "Full names..."  
  
Lyo: "I don't know how I'm going to tolerate you in order for me to train to become the Shaman King. And it's going to be a wonder how the new kid's going to put up with you!"  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They glance up at Lyo. "New kid?"  
  
Konchi: There's somebody coming here?"  
  
Ponchi: "How do you know that?"  
  
Lyo: "Well, I AM a clairvoyant, after all. Of course, I WOULD know more..." He glances at Ponchi and Konchi.  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: The two freeze up again. (anime sweatdrop)  
  
Lyo: (continuing) "...but I was interrupted by an annoying pair of KNUCKLEHEADED SPIRITS who want nothing more than to play pranks all the time!"  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: (anime sweatdrop x A LOT) They bow down to Lyo.  
  
Ponchi: "Lyo-san, please forgive us!"  
  
Konchi: "Yeah, it'll never happen again, Lyo-san!"  
  
From a distance away, the front gate can be heard opening. Lyo, Ponchi, and Konchi al turn their attetnion to the front gate.  
  
Lyo: (while staring at the door, to Ponchi and Konchi) "He's here. Now I wan you two on your best behavior around the new guy, okay?"  
  
A comical cackling is heard by all, but not from Ponchi and Konchi. The voice is horrifyingly familiar to the three, especially to Lyo. Ponchi and Konch both scamper away as fast as they can.  
  
Hao: "Hehehe. What makes you so sure that the new kid is a 'he', and not a 'she'?"  
  
Lyo: He turns towards Hao with his head lowered. (muttering) "Rrr, kisama, what're you doing here, Hao-sama?"  
  
Hao: He waves his finger at Lyo. "Uh-uh-uh, that's HAO-SAN to you, Skyboy! And maybe if you had paid a little more attention to Onii-chan, and spent less time with your head in the clouds, then you'd know full well who our new resident is." He places his hands on his hips while grinning widely.  
  
Lyo: "Baka. I know EXACTLY what you're implying, and if you ask my opinion, I don't need the stars to tell me that you're still sore about how bad you got shut down when Kyoyama-san came to live with us, aren't you, (mocking) Hao-sama?"  
  
Hao: He shrugs his shoulders. "Hey, can't blame a guy for trying. 'Sides, you can't even say anything about that. Cuz' last I checked, you never put your name in the hat for Anna-chan."  
  
Lyo: He stares up at Hao and raises an eyebrow. (questioning) "Anna- CHAN? You still call her that? Besides, according to your analysis, you tried, but you got shown up by your brother-"  
  
Hao: (interrupting) "LITTLE brother!"  
  
Lyo: He shrugs his shoulders. "Why so specific all of a sudden? After all, since you lost a girl to your little brother, doesn't that make you look even MORE pathetic than you ACTUALLY are?" He snickers.  
  
Hao: "Aw, shaddup! Besides, I never DID ask for your opinion, (mocking) Lyo-sama..."  
  
Lyo: "Lyo-SAN!"  
  
Hao: "Whatever." He raises his right hand and snaps his fingers as a small fireball appears floating above his hands. He cups the small fireball in his hands as it changes into the shape of a heart.  
  
Lyo: He lowers his head again. (muttering) "Well, at least I can blame you for failing..."  
  
Hao: "I heard that, Skyboy." He snaps his fingers and the heart-shaped fireball disappears.  
  
Voice: An old man's voice comes from the gate, calling down to Hao and Lyo. "Hao! Lyo! Come meet our new guest!"  
  
Hao and Lyo turn towards the gate, where Yohmei can be seen faintly off in the distance, with Anna and Yoh next to him.  
  
Hao: (calling back) "Coming, Onii-chan!"  
  
Lyo: (calling back) "Coming, Yohmei-San!"  
  
The welcoming party stationed at the door consists of Yohmei, Kino, Yoh, Hao, Anna, and Lyo. They stand around the door in a large circle, staring at the girl who would be living with them for a while.  
  
A tall man stands next to a short girl with bright pink hair and wearing a light blue kimono. The girl stares up at the man, who appears to be her father. The tall man carries a large suitcase in his right hand.  
  
Hao: He turns his zoned out gaze to the pink-haired girl. (whistles) (whispers over to Lyo) "Psst! Dibs on the chick..."  
  
Lyo: He forcefully nudges Hao in the gut with his elbow. (whispering to Hao) "Again? You remember what happened last time you tried to get sweet on the apprentice, don't you, Hao?"  
  
Hao: (whispering) "Oh yeah, I remember... After all, how could I forget?" He grins as he stares up into the sky and zones out.  
  
(flashback, 4 years ago, 7 years from present day)-----  
  
Around the gate of the Asakura complex, around the same time of day, just about everyone that is to be standing at the door four years later is standing at the gate now, except for Anna. Instead, the blonde Itako takes her place in the center of the semicircle of people and spirits, composed of Yohmei, Kino, Yoh, Hao, Lyo, Ponchi, and Konchi. The short girl in the center stares timidly at the ground.  
  
Chibi Hao: (whispering to Lyo) "Pzzdt! Dybbz awn da ckyk..." (Psst! Dibs on the chick...")  
  
Chibi Anna: At evidently hearing what Hao had whispered to Lyo, she raises her head walks up slowly to Hao, stopping just a short ways in front if him.  
  
Chibi Hao: He blushes. "Uw, hiy. Iy'm How." (Uh, hi. I'm Hao.)  
  
Chibi Anna: "Hiy... Iy'm Annah." (Hi... I'm Anna.) She stares coldly at Hao and quickly and forcefully slaps him across the right cheek. Hao flies backwards about two feet and lands on his back.  
  
Chibi Lyo: He can't help but giggle at what had just happened to poor Hao.  
  
Chibi Anna: She places her hands on her hips. (coldly) "AN-NAH, nawd 'da chyk'!" (AN-NA, not 'the chick'!)  
  
(flashback ends)-----  
  
Hao: He rubs his right cheek with his hand at the place where Anna had slapped him four years ago. (whispering) "Man, that hurt so much..." He grins widely.  
  
Man: "Yohmei-san..." He bows to Yohmei. "I hope that it is not too much to ask of my former mentor to tutor my daughter. She's, well, very shy, and this is the smallest shaman institute that I could remember. I beg of you to accept."  
  
Yohmei: "As always, it'll be a pleasure, Tomo-sama." He bows down. "In fact, there is an apprentice here who has similar shamanic abilities to your daughter." He stands back. (to Lyo) "His name is Lyo."  
  
Lyo: He freezes up and stands straight like a soldier. (stressed) "Hai, Yohmei-san?"  
  
Yohmei: He sighs. "Lyo."  
  
Lyo: (stressed) "Hai?"  
  
Yohmei: "Stand down."  
  
Lyo: He lowers his shoulders and sighs heavily. (relieved) "Ahh, arigato, Yohmei-san."  
  
Yohmei: (to Lyo) "I want you to be the first to welcome Tamao to our home."  
  
Tamao: She looks past Yohmei, to Lyo. She folds her hands in front of her mouth, trying to hide her face behind her hands. She nervously twitches her long eyelashes.  
  
Lyo: He straightens his posture again as he glances back at Tamao. (stuttering) "O-o-ohaiyou, I'm-" While slowly raising his hand to wave, Hao pushes him out of the way as soon as he gets his hand up.  
  
Hao: He stands in front of Tamao. (affectionately) "Ohaiyou, Tamao. I'm Hao Asakura... But you can call me Hao-chan." He blows a kiss towards Tamao, and a warm, gentle breeze flows through Tamao's soft pink hair.  
  
Lyo: He catches his balance against the wooden gate. *Hmph, cheap party trick. But 'Hao-chan'? Already? Well, that was sure faster than last time...*  
  
Tamao: She glances back at Hao. (stuttering) "H-h-hi... Hi, Hao, Hao- chan..." She nervously waves at Hao.  
  
Lyo: He takes his weight off the wooden gate and walks off in the opposite direction. *Oh well. I, I never needed a girlfriend to make me happy anyways! Well, well Hao can have her, I don't care! Shiyano... Hao... Though, it was... kinda' sweet... the way she looked at me... with those... pretty eyes...* He re-enters the house through the front door, closing the door behind him loudly.  
  
(A/N: Okay, this should give you an idea of what Lyo's personality is like, and some background history of Hao, Lyo, and Anna, according to this fic. (LOL, Hao tried to be Anna's boyfriend! And Anna slapped Hao silly!)  
  
Seeing how disgusted I am with dubbers, I use Japanese where I know it. And here's a little encyclopedia to turn to for most of it: (Please note that I got pretty much all of these from either subtitled anime, or from reading your fics, so please tell me if I got anythig wrong or misunderstood. Domo Arigato, reader-sama!)  
  
"-chan": a suffix indicating either superior status of the speaker to the speakee, or close affection for the speaker to the speakee. But most often in this fic, you're gonna' hear it used in the latter way. Examples: "Tammy-chan", "Anna-chan"  
  
"baka": Literally, a "baka" is a "simpleton", according to my subtitles. But a normal speaker could possibly translate this into "idiot" or "one who doesn't comprehend or understand".  
  
"-sama": A suffix showing equal status between the speaker and speakee. When the speaker requests to be called '(name)-sama', they demand fair respect. Examples: "Yoh-sama", "Hao-sama"  
  
"-san": This prefix indicates that the speaker is superior to the speakee, or that the speaker is attempting to belittle the speakee. Many times, in fact a few times in this chapter, a character will request to be addressed as "(name)-san" as a way of belittling the status of the speakee.  
  
"arigato": Short for 'domo arigato', meaning 'thank you'. 'Arigato' is just shorthand, meaning 'thanks'.  
  
"Onii-chan": No, this does not mean "precious demon". It means "grandfather". Yoh and Hao will address Yohmei in this manner throughout the fic. (Note that the reason that Lyo cannot address Yohmei in this manner is because, according to my fic, Lyo has no kinship to the Asakuras. Make note of that, there's a reason for that which I'll get to later.) Japanese Yugioh fans should be quite familiar with this term.  
  
"gomen" / "gomen nasai": These terms can be used interchangeably, meaning "thank you", or "thanks" for short.  
  
"domo" / "kisama": These two terms mean the same thing when translated, but in a different context. "Domo" refers to "you" as in addressing someone, like 'domo arigato' means 'thank you'. But "kisama" refers to 'you' as being aggressive or demeaning, such as how Lyo addresses Hao, like "grr, YOU!"  
  
"ohaiyou": This simply means 'good morning'. Hao and Lyo use this ('tries to', in Lyo's case) to greet Tamao with near the end of the chapter.  
  
"shiyano": I am most doubtful here of my spelling and usage because I picked this up out of a subtitled anime. It should mean 'worm'. Not like invertebrate fish bait worm, but more like 'indespicable person', or 'slimeball', to be more vernacular.  
  
"aishteru": Every Yohna fan should add this to their Japanese vocabulary, cuz' it means "I love you". Erp, well, in context OF COURSE! (gee, that was really awkward...)  
  
"itako": Okay, I'm gonna' smack whoever doesn't get this one! An 'itako' is a Japanese kind of shaman, like a channeler. Anna Kyoyama, and the Yugioh TCG monster card "Kycoo the Ghost Destryoer" (see 'Labyrinth of Nightmare' booster pack series) are both 'itakos'.  
  
"hai": This means 'yes', as in a response, not a gesture of success. For example, if your favorite sports team wins a game, you wouldn't say 'hai' and jump up and down like a lunatic (at least, I hope not...), but you would say 'hai' if you were asked a question or if you were addressed, like how Yohmei addressed Lyo in front of Tamara, and when he acted with soldier- like obedience.  
  
Okay, that's just about all the Japanese I should need for this fic. Anything else that I used will be added on as I go, and please, please, PLEASE, do NOT take this dictionary as being infallible, cuz' it's not. Not by any means. I'm expecting somebody to review or e-mail and tell me that I translated one of these wrong. In fact, I invite you to look up anything you question me about. On the plus side, whether I'm right or not, I'm no longer associating myself with those idiotic dubbers!) 


	3. The Battlegrounds of Lyo and Hao

(A/N: Welcome, my second OC, Lyo! I like him better than my old Yugioh OC cuz' Lyo's story is pretty much spelled out for him. And I'm actually DOING this part. But enough of that for now. Drake's announcements include:  
  
-I hear that everyone wants Hao to win Tamao in the end. And, that this comes from the fact that Lyo is based on a dub character. Well, that's why I call him 'Lyo', not 'Locke'! Don't dismiss the characters with the cool Japanese names! My choice for the final scenes of the fic have little to do with me hating dubbers. I think you all got that small little detail by now.  
  
-I'm expecting a flame from my bitter Tou-san, who will most likely use the penname 'DrakeTheDuelistIsGrounded' or something along those lines. Ignore any opinions of his, or that of anyone who gives a big flame to my fics, for that matter.  
  
-I don't own Shaman King. And according to Lyo and his clairvoyant powers, I shouldn't set my sights on it cuz' it'll never happen in the future.)  
  
Why So Shy, Tamao?  
  
Chapter 3: The Battlegrounds of Lyo and Hao  
  
(right after the end of last chapter)-----  
  
Tamao and Hao come into the house while holding each other's hands in a rather unsubtle sort of way. Lyo, still leaning up against the door, leered at the affection that Hao and Tamao have already developed for one another after only a minute or so.  
  
Hao: He speaks in such a loud manner as he passes Lyo as if he intends to deliberately allow Lyo to hear him in order to torment him. (conceitedly) "Don't worry, Tamao-chan. I think you'll fit in just fine here with me and everyone else." He carries a large suitcase in his left hand, the hand that is not already wrapped around Tamao's shoulder.  
  
Tamao: "Arigato, Hao-chan." She gently rests her head against Hao's shoulder as the two walk down the hall.  
  
Lyo: He can't help but chuckle to himself lightly. *Hao-chan... Well, if she's that easy to win over, then she's probably not my type anyway.* He shrugs his shoulders and heads back outside. Then, immediately, without skipping a beat, he turns around and heads back inside and shuts the door.  
  
(right outside the door)-----  
  
Yoh and Anna sit on the stoop that leads to the door, with their backs turned to the door. They have their heads tilted towards the door which Lyo had just awkwardly came out and returned back through nearly immediately.  
  
Anna: (to Yoh) "What was that all about?"  
  
Yoh: (to Anna) "I have no clue." He shrugs his shoulders and places his arm around Anna's shoulder.  
  
Anna: She leans her head onto Yoh's shoulder and closes her eyes.  
  
A banging can be heard from inside, from on the other side of the door.  
  
(on the other side of the door)-----  
  
Lyo, while thoroughly frustrated, bangs his head against the door, thinking to himself rhythmically as he continues to beat his head against the door.  
  
Lyo: (to the rhythm of his head against the door) *HOW come they ALL have a GIRLfriend but ME, cuz it's LIKE they're TAUNTing ME, those AsaKUra BROthers...*  
  
Yohmei: He walks past, seeing Lyo beating his head against the door. He stops, directing his attention to Lyo, tapping a finger on his shoulder. "Lyo. Lyo. Stop that. You're going to break the door."  
  
Lyo: He hits his head against the door and slowly lifts his weight off the door, rubbing his sore forehead. (tired) "Ughhh... Ohaiyou... Yohmei- san...."  
  
Yohmei: "Is something wrong?"  
  
Lyo: "Nah..."  
  
Yohmei: "If there's something you want to talk about-"  
  
Lyo: (getting frustrated) "I said 'nah'!" (correcting self) "Ur, with all due respect, Yohmei-san!" He sighs heavily.  
  
Yohmei: "Are you sure? I'm becoming worried."  
  
Lyo: "No. It's really petty. Don't bother."  
  
Yohmei: He raises an eyebrow. "Is this about Tamao and my grandson?"  
  
Lyo: "Which one?"  
  
Yohmei: "Hao. He and Tamao are surprisingly close already. I feel happy for them."  
  
Lyo: (sarcastically) "Hmph. Makes one of us, Yohmei-san."  
  
Yohmei: (anime sigh) "Why can't you just be happy for Hao?"  
  
Lyo: (thoroughly frustrated) "Grr, I don't know!" he punches the wall, then slowly lowers his arm to his side. (weakly) "Um... gomen... Yohmei- san..."  
  
(in the living room)-----  
  
Hao and Tamao sit next to each other on the floor, with Hao's arms wrapped around Tamao's waist.  
  
Tamao: She turns her head to face Hao. (timidly) "Uh, Hao-san... I have a question."  
  
Hao: (affectionately) "I said that you could call me Hao-chan. But go ahead, what's your question?"  
  
Tamao: (timidly) "Uh... who was that... that boy? The boy that... that Yohmei-san tried to introduce me to? At the front gate?"  
  
Hao: He turns his head to face Tamao. "Koetsu? Well... he's Lyo. But Skyboy's not too proficient at talking to girls, so I wouldn't expect to get a conversation out of him longer that 'ohaiyou' or 'hai' for a while."  
  
Tamao: (worried) "Whoa, really?" She slowly leans her head off of Hao's shoulder and leans her head against his chest. (softly) "Poor Lyo."  
  
Hao: He pets her soft, hot pink hair back, staring up at the ceiling. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about koetsu. He's pretty tough." His eyes shoot open and he shoots a glance up, trying not to disturb Tamao. *Nani... someone's here...*  
  
Tamao: She lifts her head up. "Who is it, Hao-chan?" She glances around.  
  
Hao: He glances all around them, but nobody is around. "Oh, forget about it, Tamao-chan."  
  
From behind a corner, Lyo leans up against the wall, trying not to be spotted by Hao. He is silently making gagging motions after what Hao had said to Tamao.  
  
Lyo: He holds his forehead up with his hand. *TAMMY-chan? Oh, so now it's TAMMY-chan? Wonder what it'll be by tomorrow... Ugh, what a headache...* He paces away, pausing in thought for a ways. *... Nice to know that she's kinda' worried about me though.* He glances back out the corner of his eye, half grinning. But, suddenly, as he was walking away, he somehow loses his footing and falls on his face. (shouting) "OW!"  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They release Lyo's legs and jump up and down while snickering uncontrollably.  
  
Lyo: He slowly comes to his feet. (furious) "GRRRR, Ponchi, Konchi, how long have you been trying to prank me?!"  
  
Ponchi: "Dunno."  
  
Konchi: "We thought you hitting your head against the door was satisfyingly amusing."  
  
Lyo: He comes to his feet fully and kicks Konchi across the corridor, hyperventilating with rage and breathing heavily. He snaps back and walks away.  
  
Ponchi: He bounces back to the end of the corridor, where Konchi lay crumpled up in a heap. "Hey, Konchi! You okay?"  
  
Konchi: He comes to his short and stubby feet rather quickly. (disappointed) "Aw, that was NOT worth it!"  
  
Ponchi: "Yeah, I know." The two line up and prepare to shout down the hallway.  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: (down the hall, taunting Lyo) "Lyo likes Tamao, Lyo likes Tamao, Lyo likes Tam-"  
  
Lyo: He shoots a menacing glance at the two, but doesn't say a word.  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: This shuts them up rather quickly.  
  
Lyo: He turns back and walks away. (calmly) "Just cut that out, okay."  
  
Ponchi: (whispering to Konchi) "Hey Konch, any idea what's up with Lyo- san?"  
  
Konchi: (whispering to Ponchi) "Yeah, Lyo-san NEVER lets us off the hook that easy..."  
  
Ponchi: (whispering to Konchi) "Wait, you don't think... well..."  
  
Konchi: (whispering to Ponchi) "You mean ...that ...Lyo-san's...he's..."  
  
A long pause ensues between the two.  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: (breaking the silence) "Nah!"  
  
(later that morning)-----  
  
Lyo and Tamao stand in the yard, with Lyo pointing into the sky, and with Tamao standing next to him, seeming to be paying no attention. Not to say that she isn't paying attention; she pays COMPLETE attention to Lyo...  
  
Lyo: He points to a large, heart-shaped cloud in the sky. "And cumulus clouds depict future events based on what shape they take. For example, that one is shaped like..." He pauses and places a hand on his chin. "...Ya' know, Tamao-sama, I'm not quite sure what that is shaped like. Whadda' you think?" He turns back to Tamao.  
  
Tamao: She stares down at the grass, trying to avoid looking at Lyo, while grinning innocently.  
  
Lyo: "Tamao-sama? The grass is nice, but it can't tell the future."  
  
Tamao: She snaps up her head, turning her attention to Lyo. (meekly) "Oh, uh, hai, Lyo-sama." She blushes brightly, then stares back down again.  
  
Lyo: *Okay, Yohmei-san wasn't kidding when he told me that she was shy.* He scratches his head. "Tamao-sama?"  
  
Tamao: She glances back up at Lyo. (timidly) "Nani, Lyo-sama?"  
  
Lyo: He nods his head back and forth. "Never mind, Tamao-sama. I'll go through it again after we get something to eat. And as much as I'm not a close friend of Hao's, he DOES make good soy pancakes around here."  
  
Tamao: Her face lights up at hearing Hao's name. (enthusiastically) "Nani? Anata cooks soy pancakes?"  
  
Lyo: *Anata?* (anime faint) He moans as he climbs to his feet and slaps his forehead with his right hand. (muttering) "I'll never understand what you see in him, Tamao-sama."  
  
Tamao: "What was that you said, Lyo-sama?"  
  
Lyo: He lifts his head off his hand. "Oh nothing. Let's get some breakfast."  
  
Tamao: She walks up towards the door, with Lyo at her side.  
  
Lyo: He gets to the door first and holds the door open for Tamao, staring up at the cloud that he pointed out to Tamao.  
  
Tamao: She walks through the door, and stops beside Lyo, right in the doorway. "Arigato, Lyo-sama."  
  
Lyo: He lowers his head. "Nani?"  
  
Tamao: "For giving me such a warm welcome. You and anata have been so nice to me since I came here." She continues inside.  
  
Lyo: He ducks his head inside, checking to see if Tamao was out of sight range. He ducks his head outside. (anime sigh) *'You and ANATA?' She said 'anata'! What's with her and Hao? But... well, she did mention me, too...* He glances back up.  
  
The cloud that he pointed out is whipped apart by high winds.  
  
Lyo: His eyes shoot open as he sees the large cloud dissipate. *Nani? The cloud vanished! But, what was it shaped like? I couldn't really tell! ...iiye... Something's gonna' happen. Something big. And I don't know just what. But the worst part... Ponchi and Konchi had NOTHING to do with it this time!"  
  
(A/N: Japanese dictionary update:  
  
'ai', 'aitsu', 'ko', 'koetsu': Don't get intimidated, the definitions of these four words are very similar. 'ai' means 'this', and 'ko' means 'that'. Using Yugioh cards as a reference again, there are two cards called 'aitsu' and 'koetsu' (Magician's Force). Calm down, they both suck, so you can stop worrying about getting your hands on any. But anyway, their names literally mean 'this fellow' and 'that fellow' respectively, or as somebody speaking normally might say, 'this guy' and 'that guy'.  
  
'nani': This means 'what?', as in requesting one to repeat ones self. Since Tamao is often zoning out when talking to either Hao or Lyo, she often asks for the boys to repeat themselves.  
  
'iiye': This means 'no'. Since Lyo couldn't see what the cloud was shaped like before it blew away, he missed a very important prediction, and is worried that the vision could've been something very important. (note: The cloud was shaped like a heart. The cloud also disappears. Whoa, deep...)  
  
'oji-chan': I would like to thank Bow-Down-to-Keiko for this small little detail, that it's not supposed to be 'onii-chan', but 'oji-chan', or something sounding like that. And I re-checked. It is pronounced with a 'j'. Arigato, Keiko! I knew you guys would come through!  
  
'anata': Yet another word for Yohna people to familiarize themselves with. Like 'domo' and 'kisama', this word means 'you'. But, unlike 'kisama', this form and context of 'you' means 'you' in a relationship. So 'anata' would be synonymous with such English words like 'sweetie' or 'darling'. When Hao uses 'anata' to describe Tamao, and vice versa, this means that they're getting a little closer to each other than just good friends...  
  
Hmm, that was rather convenient. I gave context examples while also doing my self-commentary. That saves me a bit of typing here and there.) 


	4. Close enough

(A/N: I don't own Shaman King. Side note: all you Card Captor Sakura fans should feel right at home in this fic. Same kind of relationship here as between SakuraxLi. Well, more or less... *sigh* Dang, SakuraxLi, that really brings me back... Ahem, but anyHao... hmm, Freudian Typo. LOL...)  
  
Chapter 4: Close Enough?  
  
(next morning)-----  
  
Lyo and Tamao head out into the yard again, like they had done yesterday. Lyo begins his lectures about premonition via the bodies in the sky, and Tamao continues to zone out around Lyo.  
  
Lyo: (unaware of Tamao's lack of attention) "You see, the stratus clouds predict lengths of certain spans of time." He points to a long cloud in the sky. "And if clouds like that-" He shifts his gaze back onto Tamao.  
  
Tamao: She stares up at the sky, blushing as Lyo looks her way.  
  
Lyo: "Tamao-sama? Are you listening?"  
  
Tamao: She shifts her gaze back on Lyo and shakes nervously at the knees. (timidly) "H-h-hai, Lyo-sama. I am." She bites her lip.  
  
Lyo: "Good then." He returns his attention to the clouds and points at the long one in the sky. "Okay, you see that big long cloud? That's a stratus cloud. It'll predict, let's say..." He places a hand on his chin.  
  
Tamao: She timidly raises her voice. (shyly) "Um, Lyo-sama?"  
  
Lyo: He turns back. "Hai?"  
  
Tamao: She tries her hardest to hold a straight face. "D-d-do you think I'll ever use this stuff?"  
  
Lyo: He points at her. (lightly teasing) "See, I knew you'd say that."  
  
Tamao: (surprised) "You did?"  
  
Lyo: (modestly) "Well, not really. That was just a gut feeling. Another important thing for shamans as unique as us, as clairvoyants, is to trust our gut feelings."  
  
Tamao: She blushes brightly. (shyly) "...so we do have some things in common..."  
  
Lyo: "Well, I guess so." He freezes up for a second. (nervously) "Wait a sec... what about that 'Hao-chan' of yours? I thought you liked koetsu, sosa?"  
  
Tamao: She freezes up. (nervously) "Um, uh, well, hai, but... uh..." She holds her hands behind her back. (nervously) "Oh, what were you saying about stratus clouds?"  
  
(at a nearby window)-----  
  
Hao: He spies on Tamao and Lyo from inside the complex. He leans on the windowsill. *Ugg, c'mon Lyo! Ya' know ya' like her, so just say it! 'Aishteru, Tamao-chan'; how hard is that to say?* He slaps his forehead.  
  
(outside)-----  
  
Lyo: It is clear to min that Tamao isn't paying attention to what he is saying. "Tamao-sama? Hey, Tamao-sama, you hearing me?"  
  
Tamao: She snaps her head up. "Hai, Lyo-sama." She places a hand on her forehead. (weakly) "Gomen, Lyo-sama. I'm just tired, I guess."  
  
Lyo: He sighs inwardly. *Well, it's not me, that's a relief.* "Okay, Tamao-sama. Let's go in for some breakfast."  
  
(at the window)-----  
  
Hao: He continues to spy on Lyo and Tamao from the window. *Okay, that's got to be the worst pickup line I ever heard! No wonder Tamao-chan likes me better...*  
  
(outside)-----  
  
Lyo walks inside, up the small steps. Tamao follows quickly, but as she climbs the small step, she loses her balance and falls backwards. Lyo reaches back to catch her and is dragged down to the ground in a rather... compromising position. Tamao and Lyo lay next to each other on the soft grass, inches away from each other. Tamao has her arms thrown over Lyo's shoulders, and Lyo has his arms wrapped around Tamao's waist, pulling her close to him.  
  
(at the window)-----  
  
Hao: He raises an eyebrow. *Hmm. This is getting a little out of hand. I'd better get in there and remind Skyboy of 'his place'.* He walks away from the window.  
  
(outside)-----  
  
Lyo: (nervously) "Er, Tamao..."  
  
Tamao: She blushes a bright red as Lyo's heavy breathing tickles her cheeks. (nervously) "Hai, Lyo-sama?"  
  
Lyo: *What to do, what to do, what to do...* (nervously) "Uh, T-t-tamao- sama, you okay?" He releases Tamao and climbs to his feet. He reaches down to Tamao, and she grabs his hand and pulls herself up.  
  
(inside)-----  
  
Hao: He passes by a closer window, to see Lyo help Tamao off the ground, being a total gentleman at the time. (anime faint) *Oh, what was I worried about? I mean, korewa Lyo after all. His lack of skill with girls is surpassed only by his thickness.* He comes closer to the door to where he will let Tamao and Lyo back in for breakfast.  
  
(outside)-----  
  
Tamao: After she climbs to her feet, with Lyo's help, she throws her arms around Lyo's neck again. She twitches her eyelashes, as if trying to get something out of her eye. (meekly) "Lyo-sama... My hair is getting a little in my face. Could you..." She blushes brightly. "Could you, er, brush away my hair?"  
  
Lyo: He grins. "No problem, Tamao-sama..." he wraps his left hand around Tamao's waist, and he brushes Tamao's hair off of her cheek with his right hand. He leans in close to Tamao.  
  
Tamao: (even more nervous) "Um, Lyo-sama... I think there's something on my face... Could you... er... well..."  
  
Lyo: He smiles, knowing fully what Tamao is implying. (softly) "I'll get it..." He kisses her on the cheek, then withdraws.  
  
Tamao: She smiles blissfully.  
  
Lyo: (gently) "Hey, Tamao-sama, hang on, I don't think I got it all..." He approaches Tamao and tenderly kisses her on the lips, holding her close. He slowly runs his fingers through Tamao's hair.  
  
Voice: (faintly) "Tamao-chan..."  
  
Tamao and Lyo end their kiss and turn their heads towards the door, where Hao emerges.  
  
Hao: He limply holds a small teacup in his right hand as he stares at Tamoa and Lyo as they continue to hold each other closely. (stunned, sternly) "Tamao-chan. Explain. Now."  
  
Lyo and Tamao: They shove each other away.  
  
Tamao: She fiddles with her hands as if trying to manually pick out her wordings. (nervously) "Uh, iye, Hao-chan, it's not what it looks like, it's, it's..."  
  
Lyo: He fiddles with his hands like Tamao. (filling in, trying to justify self) "She fell on the grass, sosa, she tripped on her kimono!"  
  
Hao: He is clearly not convinced. (sarcsastically) "Oh, and I guessed you just fell onto anata's lips like that, Skyboy, sosa?"  
  
Tamao: (intervening) "Iye, Hao-chan. That's not it, it's like Lyo-sama said, I-"  
  
Hao: (sternly, to Tamao) "Not now, Tamao-chan!" (sternly, to Lyo) "Listen, if you don't care about her enough to tell her outright, then stop putting the moves on my Tamao-chan. I don't want to see her get... hurt. And definitely not by some shiyano who she's gotta put up with every day of her life! Sosa, kisama?!"  
  
Lyo: He shrugs and nods his head back and forth repeatedly. "Hao-sama, that's not it, I don't even know what you mean by 'putting the moves' on Tamao-sama, okay?"  
  
Tamao: She nods her head in agreement of Lyo. "Sosa, Hao-chan, he wasn't putting the moves on me..."  
  
Lyo: He points at Tamao and nods in agreement to her statement. "Listen to her, Hao-sama. I told you I wasn't-"  
  
Tamao: (continuing where she left off) She points at Lyo. "I was the one putting the moves on him."  
  
Lyo and Hao: They turn to Tamao at hearing what she said. "NANI?!"  
  
Lyo: He slaps his forehead. "Not helping, Tamao-chan-"(quickly corrects self) "Wait, I mean Tamao-sama!"  
  
Hao: (disgusted) "Nice save, Skyboy..." He walks up to Lyo and grabs him by the collar of his gi. (angrily) "Keep away from Tammy-chan."  
  
Tamao: She grabs Hao by the shoulder. (almost in tears) "Iye, yamado, anata!"  
  
Hao: He throws off Tamao's hand. (sternly) "Iye, Tamao-chan. I'm gonna' show this shiyano what it means to hurt you..." He releases Lyo and throws a roundhouse punch at him.  
  
Lyo: He easily ducks the blatant assault on him by Hao. "Hey, yamado, Hao- sama, it was an accident! Gomen, gomen!"  
  
Tamao: She stands away from Lyo and Hao. Tears well up in her eyes. (speaking up) "Yamado, Hao-chan!"  
  
Hao: "KiSAMA!" He punches Lyo in the stomach.  
  
Lyo: (getting hit) "UUUUUFF!" He drops to his knees and passes out.  
  
Tamao: She releases her tears. (crying hard) "Hao-chan! Lyo-sama! Yamado!" She rushes over to Lyo and drops onto her knees, deeply sobbing into Lyo's gi.  
  
Hao: He backs away in shock as Tamao goes towards the crouching Lyo for comfort. (muttering to self) "Nani?" He reaches towards Tamao and taps her on the shoulders. "Uh, anata-"  
  
Tamao: She swats Hao's hand away. (crying) "Go a-away, shi-shi-SHIYANO!"  
  
Hao: He shudders. *Shi-shiyano... My sweet anata, Tamao-chan... She called me... a, a, a shiyano... LYO, kisama Lyo, what weakness have you imposed on Tamao-chan?!* He storms away in a rage, back into the complex.  
  
(inside)-----  
  
Yoh and Anna walk down the long hallway, near a line of small, potted bamboo trees. Anna and Yoh hold each other's hands and walk down the hall as a literally fuming Hao storms past. Hao shoves in between Anna and Yoh.  
  
Hao: Smoke pours out his ears. (furious) "Move it, otoru!"  
  
Yoh: He turns back. (frustrated) "Hey, neesama, you could at least say 'gomen', ya' know!"  
  
Anna: She tugs Yoh's arm back. (persuasively cooing in Yoh's ear) "Oh Yoh-chan, just forget about koetsu, just this once, okay? You don't want to get in his way on a bad day, sosa?" She casually kisses Yoh on the cheek.  
  
Yoh: He turns back to his path and continues walking down the hall, next to Anna. "Yeah, yeah, I know, he is neesama after all. Just wish I knew what was bugging him..."  
  
Anna: "Oh, it's probably nothing. That hothead is bugged when he overcooks the soy pancakes."  
  
The rows of bamboo plants suddenly explode in bright red flames.  
  
Anna: (startled) "EEK!" She throws her arms around Yoh's waist and squeezes tightly, jumping back.  
  
Yoh: (sarcastically) "Whoa, neesama must've burned those soy pancakes pretty bad, huh?" He giggles to himself.  
  
Anna: She holds up her hand. "Hey, cut it out, I think I hear something..."  
  
The only sound echoing through the halls is the crackle of the burning bamboo plants.  
  
Yoh: He glances around. "I don't hear anything."  
  
Anna: She waves her hand, motioning for Yoh to be quiet. (whispering) "Shh, baka, keep it down..."  
  
The soft crying of a little girl can be heard through the walls, coming from outside.  
  
Yoh: (whispering) "Oh, I hear it now... Hey, wait a sec, it's that new girl, uh, what's-her-face..." He snaps his fingers, trying to recall the name of their new resident.  
  
Anna: (whispering) "It's Tamao-sama!" She lightly elbows Yoh in the side. "Not 'what's-her-face'..."  
  
Yoh and Anna run towards the open door that Hao entered through. They stare down at a kneeling and distraught Tamao, who holds an unconscious Lyo in her arms, crying softly into Lyo's tear-dampened gi.  
  
Yoh: (shocked) "Korewa... Tamao-sama, what happened here?"  
  
Tamao: She turns her head up towards Yoh and Anna. Tears continue to pour down her cheeks. (crying) "Korewa... Hao-chan... koetsu, he, he did this to, to Lyo-sama..." She buries her face into Lyo's gi again and begins to cry harder.  
  
Anna: She folds her arms. (sarcastically) "Well, Yoh, looks like your neesama happened here."  
  
Tamao: (crying, into Lyo's gi) "Hao-chan... why?"  
  
Anna: She turns her head to Yoh. "Yoh, get Tamao-sama and Lyo-sama inside. I'm going to have a word with your neesama..."  
  
Yoh: "Well, be careful, 'kay, Anna?"  
  
Anna: She glares at Yoh. (coldly) "What did I say?"  
  
Yoh: He bows. "Oh, yeah, I'll get Tamao and Lyo inside right away!"  
  
Anna: "Consider it a weight lifting regimen."  
  
Yoh: (anime faint) (unceratainly, to self) "Okay, here goes nothing..." (to Tamao) "Tamao-sama... C'mon, let's go inside. I'll get Lyo."  
  
Tamao: She leans away from Lyo, allowing Yoh to pick him up. She stands to her feet and trudges inside, with her head held down.  
  
Yoh: He throws Lyo over his arms and walks inside slowly.  
  
(A/N: Japanese dictionary update:  
  
-korewa: remembering that 'ko' means 'that', 'korewa' means 'that is...' or 'that's...' and fill in the blank with whatever you're talking about. Yoh and Anna are shocked to see that Lyo was sucker-punched by Hao, and are exclaiming the situation.  
  
-yamado: This is a command to 'stop'. Tamao and Lyo say this to try and calm down Hao when he catches them 'lip-locked'.  
  
-gi: Not really sure that this is Japanese, but it can't hurt. It'll be used a lot next chapter as Lyo is waking up and recovering. A gi is a two- piece martial arts uniform, consisting of pants, and a short, robe-like coat. This kind of uniform is most commonly seen in Judo, a type of martial art, and the color of the cloth belt of the gi represents like a badge of status of the martial artist. Lyo's gi is all black, except for the belt. Side note, though totally trivial, Lyo is a white-belt, which is the lowest status for most martial arts. Why? Cuz' he's living at a shaman school, not a dojo. He's an exceptionally strong fighter in his own right, remembering that in the first chapter, he said that he was training to be the shaman king. Totally trivial though. I mean, he got sucker- punched by Hao.  
  
-neesama / otoru: This means 'big brother' and 'little brother' respectively. I'm not really sure who is older among Yoh and Hao, but I've heard that the two are twins, and technically, Hao is a few minutes older than Yoh. But, good old Hao, he'll gloat over anything he can to make himself seem better than Yoh. According to my fic, it's a nasty habit he developed when trying to impress... well, that's another fic... Wait, didn't I already put these two in my dictionary? Oh well, better twice than none.  
  
-sosa: Duh, I knew this, sosa is another word for 'yes', but in a different context. 'sosa' means that you are stating that something is true, like, 'yeah, that's right', or 'exactly'. Lyo and Tamao tried to explain their side of the story of how they ended up making out with each other to Hao, agreeing with each other that nothing was going on between them. Pfft... yeah right, they're not fooling any of us, are they?  
  
-iye: I should've put this in sooner, but my subtitles kinda'... well... suck. It's clear that the subtitle writers don't speak English, except as maybe a second language. But anyway, 'iye' means 'no'. This is thrown around a lot in that one scene where Hao catches Lyo and Tamao kissing. But, of course, if your boyfriend (or girlfriend, to the guys) were a pissed off pyrokinetic like Hao, and you got caught making out with another boy / girl, you'd deny it, too! (lol)  
  
And to the commentary, a couple things need noticing. Yohna is back in the story, yay to all the YohxAnna fans out there. Though they're still not nearly as central a couple as Tamao and Lyo (or Tamao and Hao, depends on how heartless you are at this point) but they're there, and they're IN CHARACTER, especially Anna. I put special attention into keeping Anna from going OOC. You like? ... Is that a 'hai?' Good.) 


	5. Hard Hit

(A/N: Oh man, it's been some time guys, ne? I have to stretch out my brain muscles to pull off this kind of creativity... But I already wrote chapters up to 7, so I'm not worried. I wanna' get to the sequel badly.  
  
This one goes out to a particularly good friend of mine as of late: TyChan26  
  
I don't own Shaman King.)  
  
Chapter 5: Hard Hit  
  
Lyo lays on his bed, back first and unconscious. Tamao leans over him and places a small plastic bag full of ice on his chest. Tamao brushes back Lyo's hair and sneaks a kiss onto his forehead, trying not to wake Lyo.  
  
Tamao: She stares at Lyo with deep concern for his well being. Please, Lyo-chan, wake up...  
  
Lyo: His eyelids quiver as he opens his eyes. He stares at the ceiling. (weakly) "Gah. Stupid sucker punch. Hao can really bring it home in a fist fight..."  
  
Tamao: She notices Lyo's now-present consciousness, holding back her tears. "L-L-Lyo-chan... Please be okay..." A tear runs down her cheek.  
  
Lyo: He reaches up with his right hand and wipes the tear off Tamao's cheek. "Don't cry for me, Tamao-sama... I'll be alright." (to self) "Oh man, how hard did he hit me anyway?" He leans up and clutches his side in pain as he bites his lip and grimaces.  
  
Tamao: She bites her lip, barely able to suppress her tears. She attempts to change the subject of Lyo's attention away from his pain. (heartbroken) "...Why don't you call me Tammy-chan? I-I thought... that... you felt... something for me... and that was why you... kissed me in the yard a while back..."  
  
Lyo: (surprised) "A while back? How long has it been?" He looks towards a window to see golden yellow light shining onto the floor and opposite wall.  
  
Tamao: "It's, it's after dinner. I've been checking up on you all day..."  
  
Lyo: He leans up. "Nani? All day?"  
  
Tamao: She blushes.  
  
Lyo: (recalling his previous statement) "I-I-I've been out cold all day?"  
  
Tamao: She nods, quivering her lips.  
  
Lyo: (affectionately as he can manage) "Tamao-sama..."  
  
Tamao: She quivers at the shoulders, ready to break out into tears at any moment.  
  
Lyo: Tamao... What can I do for her? ...hmm... ...I want to tell her... Tell her that... that I... He reaches out to Tamao. (nervously whispering) "Ai- aishteru..."  
  
Tamao: She jolts her head up. "Nani?"  
  
Lyo: (speaking up) "Aishteru, Tammy-chan..." He places a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Tamao: She sighs blissfully inside. (urging sternly) "Shhh, Lyo-chan, keep it down... That's why Hao got mad at you and... hurt you..."  
  
Lyo: He stares into Tamao's eyes without blinking. (confidently) "I'm not afraid of koetsu... Nor am I afraid of my feelings anymore... Aishteru, Tammy-chan. I don't care who knows..."  
  
Tamao: (worried) "B-but if Hao hears... I'm a-afraid... o-of what he'll do to you..."  
  
Lyo: "I said that I'm not afraid. And no matter what Hao does to me if he hears us, it's worth it. For you... anata..."  
  
Tamao: She leans in towards Lyo, almost climbing onto him. "D-do you mean..."  
  
Lyo: He grins as he hugs Tamao around the waist.  
  
Tamao: (verging on crying) "Lyo-chan... I-I..." She throws her head over Lyo's shoulder and cries her eyes out.  
  
Lyo: He pets Tamao's hair back. (affectionately) "...Tammy-chan... Let it go, let it all go, I'm right here for you..."  
  
Tamao: (half crying) "I-I-I've been such a BAKA, gomen, Lyo-chan. You got hurt by Hao for telling me this, and you've just told me of your feelings for me right out... B-but I never told you because I've been such a timid little coward... I-I'm not brave like you... Gomen, forgive me..."  
  
Lyo: (inwardly snickering at himself) Heh, me, brave? Tch, if she only knew the half of it... (picking his wording carefully) "Tammy-chan... it's okay to be nervous... love is... hard to talk about... for those who feel it for real... even me..." He curls a lock of Tamao's hair on his finger. "Tammy- chan, don't believe that you're too scared... Don't think like that. Tammy- chan... Don't let anyone deceive you of that, y'hear?"  
  
Tamao: She squeezes Lyo around the waist to signify her compliance. "Lyo- chan... Aishteru..." She continues to cry on Lyo's shoulder.  
  
Lyo: He cringes inwardly as Tamao squeezes his chest where he had been bruised. Owwww... Well... it's worth it, for Tammy-chan... He wraps his left arms around Tamao's waist. (whispering) "Shh, shh, shh, it's okay Tammy- chan, it's okay... I'm right here..."  
  
(A/N: cough cough cough...)  
  
(Hao's room)-----  
  
Hao shuts the window and door to his room, leaving his room in near darkness. He holds up his hands, causing many small fireballs to appear. At the wave of his hands, the fireballs begin flying around the room. Then, he hears a solid and cold knocking at the door of his room.  
  
Anna: (from behind the door, sternly) "Hey, Pyropathetic. A word with you if you don't mind."  
  
Hao: He shoots his head back and snaps his fingers, causing the small fireballs to vanish. "Come in, Anna-chan."  
  
Anna: She enters Hao's room with her arms crossed and a cold stare on her face. (with cold sarcasm) "Ichi yen for your thoughts. I trust that's well more than you can sell them for anywhere..."  
  
Hao: He nods his head back and forth. "Still with that kawaii, icy sense of humor, Anna-chan. What's the matter, couldn't resist?" He points to himself egotistically.  
  
Anna: (disgusted, sarcastically) "Iye, after that line, I don't think there's ANY way to resist throwing up..."  
  
Hao: He shrugs his shoulders. "Oh well. So I take it from that 'charming' stare that you're not asking me out, so let's cut to the chase."  
  
Anna: She rolls her eyes. Well, there goes my breakfast... "I saw the aftermath of that little run in that you had with Lyo-sama..."  
  
Hao: He grits his teeth and turns away from Anna. (getting furious quickly) "Well, maybe Skyboy has learned a lesson from all this, ne?!"  
  
Anna: "What a chibi you're acting like! Sore loser. What you can't have you take, and when you can't take, you eliminate the competition. You're having a tantrum, Hao. And to think that you want to beat your otouto in the Shaman Fight?"  
  
Hao: (getting enraged) "What does it matter? As soon as Tammy-chan's schoolgirl crush on Skyboy is over, she'll be mine! Boku no Tammy-chan, like it was meant to be!"  
  
Anna: "Which is why your little plan will never work."  
  
Hao: "Nani? What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Anna: "Do you know where 'kimi no Tammy-chan' is right now?"  
  
Hao: Smoke begins to pour out his ears. "And why do I get the feeling that the answer has something to do with Skyboy?"  
  
Anna: (coldly) "It's a hai or iye question, pyropathetic. Do you know where Tamao-sama is or not?"  
  
Hao: "No, but-"  
  
Anna: "So she's 'kimi no Tammy-chan', you claim, but you don't know where she is? What's wrong with this picture?"  
  
Hao: Smoke literally blasts out his ears. (losing patience rapidly) "Kisama! What do you think you're doing, coming in here and daring to challenge my affections for Tammy-chan?" His entire body catches fire.  
  
Anna: (calmly) "Korewa why you're not like Lyo at all in Tamao-sama's opinion..."  
  
Hao: His flames extinguish themselves and the smoke stops pouring out his ears. (shocked) "Nani?"  
  
Anna: She turns away from Hao. "You heard me. And to answer your curiosity, Tamao-sama is with Lyo right now. She's been sneaking into his room all day, checking up on him, realizing that her love for you and her love for Lyo cannot coexist. So in your attempt to 'protect' Tamao-sama may have backfired in an irreversible way..."  
  
Hao: He grits his teeth. (infuriated) "Since when did you become a psychologist? How do you know what Tammy-chan is going through?"  
  
Anna: She turns back to Hao. (stuttering) "Be-because I've been there... Kisama!"  
  
(flashback, Anna's memory, 3 years ago)-----  
  
In the yard, Chibi Hao is leaning over a battered and bruised Yoh, who lays on the ground with almost no life in him. Anna stands behind Hao, holding him back.  
  
Chibi Hao: His fists are in flames as he pants heavily. (furious) "Kiyp awwey fwum Anniechun. Yew gawdt dat?" (Keep away from Anna-chan. You got that?) He spits down at Yoh. "Keeysawmuh..." (Kisama...)  
  
Chibi Anna: She cries hard and squeezes Hao's left arm. "Yawmudou, Howchun, pweez yer gunna kyw hym, Howchun dat wuzidt a kyss, Iy swew! Yamudou..." (Yamado, Hao-chan, you're going to kill him! Hao-chan, that wasn't a kiss, I swear! Yamado...) She buries her face into Hao's cape and cries onto his shoulder.  
  
Chibi Yoh: He twitches in pain as he can only lie around on the ground.  
  
Chibi Hao: (calming down, to Anna) "Iyw stawp idt juwzd fow yew, Anniechun... Juwzd gedt Owgeesun ta kawl awf da ingaydgmidt..." (I'll stop it just for you, Anna-chan... Just get Ojisan to call off the engagement...)  
  
Chibi Anna: She shrinks away. (shocked) "Nawnee?! Eyay, Howchun! Yowmeysun'd nevvow dew idt! Iy kawdt!" (Nani?! Iye, Hao-chan! Yohmei- san would never do it! I can't!)  
  
Chibi Hao: He stares menacingly down at Yoh. (ominously) "Wew if yew wowdt... denn Owtowtow wyw gedt mow uv..." (Well, if you won't... then Otoutou will get more of...) He stares at Yoh. "DYS!" (THIS!) He kicks Yoh in the chest, causing the nearly unconscious little brother to roll over several times.  
  
Chibi Yoh: "GAAAAAAA!" He tries to get up off the ground after he stops rolling around, but he can't lift himself up."  
  
Chibi Anna: She collapses to her knees in tears. "Howchun... hau kuwd yew?" (Hao-chan... how could you?) She looks up at Hao with sad, puppy-dog eyes. (shouting) "Shee... shee... SHEEYAWNOU!" (Shi... shi... SHIYANO!) She buries her face in her hands and cries.  
  
Chibi Lyo: He approaches slowly to the situation. (in shock) "Hay Howkin, wuz gowin awn heew?" (Hey Hao-kun, what's going on here?) He looks around, seeing Anna in tears, Yoh unconscious, and Hao with his fists on fire. He takes a step back. (worried) "H-Howkin?" (H-Hao-kun?)  
  
Chibi Hao: He turns back at hearing Lyo's voice. The flames on his hands extinguish. His eyes grow wide. (guilty) "W-Weeyowkin, idz, idz, idz..." (L-Lyo-kun, it's, it's, it's...)  
  
(flashback ends)-----  
  
Anna: She shivers inside as that sad day plays through her memory. Unknown to Anna, a tear is running down her cheek. She shoots an icy glare back at Hao. "She's hurt! She's HURT, Hao-sama, and that's YOUR fault!" She points at Hao sternly  
  
Hao: He fearfully paces backwards, knowing fully well that Anna is capable of 'expressing her displeasure' upside his face. That look... I haven't gotten that look in three years...  
  
Anna: She storms out of Hao's room, almost in tears at the sad memory that she uncovered.  
  
(A/N: Update to Japanese Dictionary: -kimi no / boku no: meaning 'my something' or 'your something' respectively. Hao is getting rather conceited with that 'Boku no Tammy- chan' line... -ichi yen: one yen, or a single unit of Japanese currency. When Anna says 'ichi yen for your thoughts', it's like the Japanese equivalent of 'A penny for your thoughts'. -kun: A new suffix I learned is 'kun', meaning that the person is a close friend. Chibi Lyo refers to Hao as 'Howkin' or "Hao-kun", meaning that at one point in time, Lyo and Hao considered each other close buddies.  
  
That's all for now, and gomen for taking so long to update any of my fics. This will be the beginning of many updates. See ya' next time...) 


	6. Find a Way

(A/N: ) Chapter 6: Find a Way...  
  
Lyo and Tamao sleep close to one another that night, in Lyo's bed. Tamao sleeps innocently curled up with her knees to her chin, and Lyo cradles her in his arms, fast asleep himself.  
  
Lyo: His eyes shoot open as he shakes all over his body at once. (in a panic, waking up from a nightmare) "Iye, kisama!" He breathes hard and leans up.  
  
Tamao: She jerks awake as Lyo wakes up. "Lyo-chan, is everything okay?"  
  
Lyo: His breathing normalizes. "Hai, hai Tammy-chan, it's alright... Just a bad dream... Go back to sleep..." He pulls Tamao close and kisses her on the forehead.  
  
Tamao: She almost immediately falls to sleep after Lyo kisses her.  
  
(flashback, Lyo's dream)-----  
  
Lyo floats in the night sky, above the clouds, as the Aurora Boreralis flies through the air, past him. The wind whispers something in Lyo's ear softly and unclearly.  
  
Lyo: (in a panic) "Nani? Nani ga umalelu?" Lyo falls through the clouds, to the ground. He falls in a desert, leaving a large crater in the desert. He lifts his head and stares directly in front of him as something catches his eye. His jaw drops as he stares on.  
  
(end of flashback)-----  
  
Lyo: He stares affectionately at Tamao. _Tammy-chan... I can't keep protecting you like this. It's going to get very big and very dangerous shortly, and I'm afraid for you. What I saw in my vision predicts danger ahead in the distant future. The wind told me: 'when the stars count thrice, then thrice forth the elder shalt smiteth thine brethren, and so more shalt thine punishment fit thy crime...' It's talking about Hao. Hao WILL change, and I fear that when he does, I will be too overmatched to shield you from Hao._ He brushes Tamao's hair away from her face to get a glimpse of the pure innocence fo Tamao's expression wbhile sleeping. _I can't protect you from Hao if I'm so weak myself. But I don't want to see you get hurt by him. So I have got to get stronger as soon as possible! Otherwise... I, I, I won't be able to protect you from him..._ He leans in on Tamao and holds her cheek in his hand.  
  
Tamao: Her eyes open up slowly as Lyo's warm touch wakes her up. (weakly) "Wha, Lyo-chan, you've got to get some sleep. Go to sleep, Lyo..." She yawns lightly and stretches out.  
  
Lyo: He smiles at her concern.  
  
Tamao: She blushes, turning her face to a color similar in brightness to the color of her hair. (surprised) "Lyo, how are you still awake?"  
  
Lyo: He stares on, past Tamao. "I've just got a lot on my mind. Don't worry, Tammy-chan."  
  
Tamao: (worried) "Lyo-chan, is there... something... bad... going to happen to me in the future?"  
  
Lyo: (bluffing, calmly) "Gomen, I don't know yet, Tammy-chan... Things should be just fine, don't worry."  
  
Tamao: _What's aitsu hiding from me? Something is going to happen that Lyo's not telling me. But why won't he tell me?_ She curls back up into a ball and yawns. "Let's just get some sleep, Lyo-chan. It'll be a long day tomorrow..." She rests her head against Lyo's chest and falls asleep quickly.  
  
Lyo: He stares off into space, worried for the future. _It's Hao. Tammy- chan isn't safe with Hao when the Aurora's prophecy is fulfilled. And Hao already made it rather clear that I can't stand up to him to save my life. But I have to. For Tammy-chan. She likes me, and I can't let her feel too scared that she won't ever open up to anyone. Rrr, there's GOT to be a way! And I'll find it! For Tammy-chan..._ (whispering) "...got to be a way..." He closes his eyes.  
  
Tamao wakes up on Lyo's bed, at the break of dawn. Lyo is no longer with her. Covers have been pulled over her with intention to keep Tamao warm.  
  
Tamao: She squirms out from under the sheets and stands upright on her feet. (calling out in a whisper) "Lyo? Where'd you go?" She glances around.  
  
(Yoh's room)-----  
  
Yoh snores loudly in his bed. The door to his room creaks open, and someone glances in.  
  
Yoh: "...zzz...zzz...zzz...zzz..."  
  
Voice: (sarcastically) "It's a wonder he doesn't wake himself up."  
  
The door shuts again.  
  
(outside Yoh's room)-----  
  
Lyo leans against the door to Yoh's room and closes his eyes.  
  
Lyo: Where's Kyoyama-san? She's all over Yoh just about around the clock, and I need to talk to her about something... Where'd she go?  
  
Anna crosses the corner and approaches the door that Lyo is leaning on. She wears a white bathrobe and carries a small cup in her left hand and a toothbrush in her mouth.  
  
Anna: She notices Lyo. She begins mumbling something to Lyo and points to the door.  
  
Lyo: Hearing the mumbling, he glances towards Anna. (relieved) "Ah, Kyoyama-san, perfect timing, I was just looking for you!"  
  
Anna: She takes a drink from the cup, gurgles the water, and spits back into the cup. (coldly) "Don't flatter me, Lyo-sama. Now wake Yoh up, like I was trying to tell you."  
  
Lyo: "Hai, Kyoyama-san." He bows in respect then enters Yoh's room. He then ducks his head out. "Oh, and I need to talk to you about something. Let me know when you get a chance, okay, Kyoyama-san?"  
  
Anna: She begins to walk away, ignoring Lyo.  
  
Lyo: (anime faint) Well, so much for getting some training advice from Kyoyama-san... He proceeds into Yoh's room. (to Yoh) "Hey, Yoh-san. Kyoyama-san wants you to get up now..."  
  
(that afternoon)-----  
  
Lyo sits in the garden with his eyes shut, motionless as a statue.  
  
Lyo: _Must focus... Must focus... Since Kyoyama-san won't train me, I've got to train myself... Must focus, must focus, must focus..._ He feels someone tapping his shoulder. Without losing focus, he lightly brushes away the hand on his shoulder. "Not right now."  
  
Voice: (coldly) "And after YOU were the one who wanted to talk to ME, YOU have the NERVE to IGNORE ME?!"  
  
Lyo: His eyes shoot open and he looks up. (joyfully) "Kyoyama-san! It's you!" He bows down to Anna immediately. "Domo arigato, domo arigato, Kyoyama-san!"  
  
Anna: She stares at Lyo. (coldly) "What did I say about flattery, Lyo- sama?"  
  
Lyo: "You said it would get me flattened, Kyoyama-san. Gomen, but I'm begging you to help me! Onegai, Kyoyama-san!"  
  
Anna: She slaps her forehead. _Figures. One of the boys is a hentai, another is a suckup, and the third is my fiancée..._ "You said you wanted to talk, so TALK ALREADY!"  
  
Lyo: "Oh, right, yeah, Kyoyama-san, will you..." (hesitating) "er, will you... uh, will you... would you please-"  
  
Anna: (interrupting, disgusted) "NO, I WILL NOT MARRY YOU! I'm engaged, Hentai!" She kicks Lyo in the face with her wooden sandal.  
  
Lyo: He flies backwards about ten feet before landing on his back. "AAA!... Nnnnot what I was trying to ask..."  
  
Anna: She feels herself getting queasy. (disgusted) "Well spit it out before I get sick to my stomach..." She steps away.  
  
Lyo: He stands to his feet weakly, with a black eye on his face. He paces towards her slowly. "Onegai, hear me out, Kyoyama-san, that's not what I was going to say..."  
  
Anna: She backs away at a quickening pace.  
  
Lyo: He advances towards Anna quicker as he notices that she begins to back away. "Onegai, Kyoyama-san..." He stops right in front of Anna, who stopped retreating when she came to the edge of a small lake in the yard. "I-I-I need you-"  
  
Anna: (interrupting) "HENTAI!" She kicks Lyo in the crotch.  
  
Lyo: He roars a scream of pain. "AAAAAAAAAAAA!"  
  
Tamao: She comes running out of the mansion. "That scream! Lyo-chan! Lyo-chan, are you okay?!" She stops at Anna's side and glances down at the cringing Lyo. (shocked, to Anna) "Kyoyama-san, what did you do to Lyo- chan?!" She kneels down to Lyo and helps him to his feet. (to Lyo) "Lyo- chan... are you okay?"  
  
Lyo: He holds his groin, continuing to cringe in pain. He tries to respond to Tamao, but can only squeal. (like a girl) "eep..."  
  
Hao and Yoh arrive to the scene, finding Anna with her back turned to Tamao and Lyo, Lyo squealing like a slowly deflating balloon, and Tamao holding Lyo in her arms.  
  
Yoh: (calling to Anna) "Hey, Anna-chan! What's going on?"  
  
Hao: "Anna-chan! I heard a girlish scream, are you okay?"  
  
Yoh: He turns to face Anna. "Anna-chan! What happened here?"  
  
Anna: (snobbishly) "Lyo is a hentai. He said that he..." She shudders. "...NEEDED me..."  
  
Hao and Yoh: (shocked) "Nani?"  
  
Hao: He stares down at Lyo. "Well I figured that Lyo-sama grew a backbone with Tammy-chan around, but once a Skyboy, always a Skyboy, ne?"  
  
Yoh: (partially ashamed) "Uh, Lyo-sama, did you really..."  
  
Lyo: (squealing) "...nooo..." His face twists in agony.  
  
Tamao: (sure of self) "Lyo-chan! I know that's not what happened, I know that Kyoyama-san misunderstood you, Lyo-chan, you wouldn't do that, ne?"  
  
Lyo: He tries to respond to Tamao, but still can only squeal, so he nods his head instead. His voice begins to normalize. (to Tamao, groaning) "Kyoyama-san... she... didn't let me finish..." He turns his head towards Anna.  
  
Anna: She turns back slowly, clearly still disgusted by Lyo. "Go on..."  
  
Lyo: (groaning less) "I-I said that I wanted you to-"  
  
Anna: She snaps a glare at Lyo, interrupting him. "See? Hentai..."  
  
Hao and Yoh: (at once) "Shut up, Anna-chan!"  
  
Anna: She turns to face Yoh and Hao and slaps Yoh and Hao on their left cheek simultaneously.  
  
Lyo: (begging) "Kyoyama-san, would you just HEAR ME OUT? I wanted you to TRAIN me!"  
  
Everyone stares in shock at Lyo.  
  
Yoh: _Nani? He wants my ice princess of a fiancée to train him? Does he wanna' die?  
_  
Hao: _Training? Nani? What for?... Pfft, who'm I kidding, he's trying to get sweet on Tammy-chan...  
_  
Tamao: _Lyo-chan, what do you want to do training for? I'm more afraid of what Kyoyama-san will do to you rather than what Hao'll do to you..._  
  
Anna: (humiliated) "Well, I..." (hesitating) "Well, all I have to say is..." She stares down at the ground.  
  
Yoh and Hao: (anxiously) "Hai?"  
  
Anna: (hesitating) "er..." She shoots a menacing glare at Lyo. (coldly) "Fifty laps around the complex, NOW!"  
  
Lyo: He jumps to his feet with enthusiasm and bows to Anna. "Arigato, domo arigato, Kyoyama-san!" He begins running towards the perimeter of the complex.  
  
Anna: (not impressed) "And you can do twenty more laps for lack of clarity when speaking to me!"  
  
Lyo: (anime faint)  
  
(one week later)-----  
  
Lyo and Yoh jog around the edge of the complex. Yoh is short of breath and verging on passing out of exhaustion. But Lyo is running strong.  
  
Yoh: He stops his running and places his hands on his knees, holding himself up. (panting) "H-h-how can y-y-you keep runn-ning?"  
  
Lyo: He turns to face Yoh, jogging in place. (with no signs of exhaustion) "Yoh-san, you have no idea how lucky you are to have Kyoyama- san with you, training you to be the best."  
  
Yoh: (panting) "Well, ma-maybe I'm mis-sing some-thing, b-but you got t-to ask for this tr-raining. I got s-set up b-by Oji-chan... and T-tou-san... ... with Anna-chan... and... I've got it hard-der than you 'cuz she wants me to be S-shaman K-king..."  
  
Lyo: (enthusiastically) "C'mon, Kyoyama-san's not that bad. She's strong. Trust me. She can take care of herself." (with a hint of jealousy) "And she likes you. Whether you see it or not..." He continues to run on the trail.  
  
Yoh: He collapses on the ground.  
  
Anna: She approaches Yoh with thundering footsteps. (furious) "Get up, baka! Your laziness is pathetic!"  
  
Yoh: He glances up at Anna. (humorously) "Hey, Anna-chan..."  
  
Anna: (still frustrated) "Don't Anna-chan me, got it? Now get moving!"  
  
Yoh: (worried) "Uh, yes ma'am." He gets up and runs away limply.  
  
(inside, kitchen)-----  
  
Hao holds a marshmallow in one hand and a chopstick in the other hand. He skewers the marshmallow onto the chopstick and holds the chopstick with his right hand, over his left hand. He balls up his fist and creates a fire over his left hand.  
  
Hao: (joking around) "Hey, Tammy-chan, want a toasted marshmallow?"  
  
Tamao: She stands on a tall stool and wears a bright pink apron that stretches down to her ankles. She turns her head towards Hao. "Hao-sama, don't spoil your appetite. I'm making some lunch now, so be patient, this rice takes a while to cook." She returns her attention to the stove and hums a childish tune to herself.  
  
Hao: (disappointed) "Aww..." He extinguishes the flames on his knuckles and removes the marshmallow from the chopstick. He glances around, scanning the kitchen to see if anyone is there besides Tamao. Not noticing anyone else there, he tosses the marshmallow into his mouth. He quickly chews it up and swallows it before Tamao turns her attention to him again.  
  
Tamao: (anime sigh) She still has her back turned to Hao. (care-freely) "Oh well, go ahead, you can have ONE marshmallow before lunch."  
  
Hao: (guilty) "Um, hey, how'd you know that I ate it? Is this because you're a clairvoyant like Skyboy?"  
  
Tamao: "I'm not stupid, Hao. Now quit ruining your appetite. The tofu and rice are almost done."  
  
Anna walks into the kitchen from an open door.  
  
Anna: (moderately impressed) "Not bad, but you've got to put a little more guilting into it. That's the trick to proper scolding."  
  
Hao: (freaked out) "Nani, Anna-chan? Are you teaching Tammy how to scold me?"  
  
Anna: She folds her arms. (to Hao) "Hai, Hao-sama. She's a natural." (to Tamao) "How long is the rice going to take?"  
  
Tamao: (curious) "Why do you ask?"  
  
Anna: "I want to know how many more laps I can get the boys to run before lunch is ready."  
  
Tamao: She places a finger on he chin. (thinking) "Well, seeing how big the path is, I'd say... about... hmm, it'd be okay if you started them on their cool-down laps."  
  
Anna: "Good. I'll let the boys know that their training is almost done." She leaves the room.  
  
Tamao: "Hey, Kyoyama-san, how is this rice coming? Is it okay?"  
  
Anna: She ducks her head back in. "Just don't overcook it, baka."  
  
Tamao: (worried) "Hai, Kyoyama-san..."  
  
Anna: She leaves the room again and arrives momentarily, dragging Yoh by his shirt collar.  
  
Lyo: He follows Anna into the kitchen. "So we're having rice, ne Tammy- chan?"  
  
Tamao: "Hai, Lyo." She picks up the wok and climbs down to a lower stool, then to the floor. She rushes towards the table, carrying the steaming hot wok with large oversized mittens on her hands.  
  
Yoh: He sniffs the air and immediately jumps to his feet. (enthusiastically) "OOH, FOOD'S READY!" He follows Tamao to the small table in the dining room.  
  
Hao: "Well, it's not yaki soba, but what's good for otouto is good for neesama." He follows Yoh.  
  
Lyo: He folds his arms with pride. "That's my Tammy-chan. Man, can she cook." He grins.  
  
Anna: She grabs Lyo by the shoulder. "Oh, and that reminds me, Lyo-sama, I've been meaning to have a word with you."  
  
Lyo: (surprised) "Nani? What did I do?"  
  
Anna: She grabs his arm and tugs Lyo towards the corridor.  
  
(another room, a few minutes later)-----  
  
Anna drags Lyo into a dark room with the curtains drawn. She shuts the door hard behind her. Lyo takes his place in a heap on the floor next to Anna.  
  
Anna: She turns her head to Lyo and folds her arms. "Let's get this straight right now. I'm no baka, neither are you. So it's pointless to lie at this point. So let's just keep this little talk as honest as possible to avoid wasting my time. And you DON'T want to waste my time, trust me."  
  
Lyo: "Yeah, listening. What's this coming to?"  
  
Anna: "I know you're no more thrilled about my training than that lazy fiancée of mine, so let's get that out of the way right now."  
  
Lyo: He holds his back and groans loudly. (relieved) "Uggg, I felt that, but now I can give up this charade' at last!"  
  
Anna: "Is there something wrong? I'll be frank, this training is to best prepare Yoh for the Shaman Tournament. So if there is some loophole in it that makes it easy, let me know."  
  
Lyo: "Well, now that you mention it, it's more devoted to physical exercise than to shaman strengthening. But I get a feeling that that's not what you were getting at."  
  
Anna: "Sosa. Lyo-sama, I want you to stop training with Yoh. You're discouraging him."  
  
Lyo: (unconvinced) "Uh huh, sosa, sure. Listen, I don't care about the Shaman Fight, I'm training for a different reason."  
  
Anna: "Sosa. I know that you're training to impress Tamao-sama."  
  
Lyo: (in denial) "IYE! That's not it. I'm not trying to impress anyone. I just want to make sure that Tammy-chan feels safe..."  
  
Anna: "From Hao, ne?"  
  
Lyo: "Sosa. Hao is trying to intimidate poor Tammy-chan into driving me away from her."  
  
Anna: She nods her head. "Sosa, that would do it. You know that Hao is stronger, so you want to be able to defeat him should the need arise..."  
  
Lyo: "And that time is now." (begging) "Kyoyama-san, onegai, if there is a faster way to become better, tell me."  
  
Anna: "The only safe way I know to get more out of training is to double or triple the intensity of the exercises."  
  
Lyo: His eyes light up with hope. "You said 'safe way'! Meaning that there is an unsafe way that is even faster, ne?"  
  
Anna: "Erp, well, uh..."  
  
Lyo: "Didn't you say that we weren't going to keep secrets in this conversation?"  
  
Anna: "Iye, even for you, the tunnel is a crazy idea-"  
  
Lyo: (encouraged) "tunnel? What tunnel?"  
  
Anna: (anime sigh) "Well, no point in delaying this. You'll find the Tunnel of Tartarus one of these days..."  
  
Lyo: "The Tunnel of Tartarus? Why is it so unsafe?"  
  
Anna: "Historically, people have died in that tunnel. Many have entered, and just about all have disappeared. Never to be heard from again."  
  
Lyo: "And if I succeed?"  
  
Anna: "Your mana will increase, and your oversoul would be strengthened significantly."  
  
Lyo: "Arigato, Kyoyama-san, where is this tunnel?" He grabs Anna by the shoulders and shakes her hard.  
  
Anna: She stares coldly at Lyo. "I don't know, Kino-san won't tell me!"  
  
Lyo: He shakes Anna's shoulder again. "Make her tell you!"  
  
Anna: She slaps Lyo across the face, but fails to budge him in his stoic state. She gasps and backs away slowly.  
  
Lyo: He stares on, with Anna's 'slap' having no effect on him. (coldly) "I'm serious. This is very important to me. Moreso than you may ever realize." He stares coldly into her eyes.  
  
Anna: She shrugs her shoulder at Lyo. "Well if you want to get killed, then fine. The Tunnel of Tartarus is on the other side of a large lake on the other side of the forest. It would also be wise to eat up, because the trip through the Tunnel of Tartarus takes close to seven days."  
  
Lyo: "Excellent. Sosa, Kyoyama-san. Arigato." He leaves the room.  
  
Anna: "Where are you going?"  
  
Lyo: "To prepare. I'm gonna' take care of a few things so that nothing falls into chaos while I'm gone."  
  
(Lyo's room, later that day...)-----  
  
Lyo gathers some items into a small backpack, those items including a map of the stars, a flashlight, a Swiss army knife, and a spare gi.  
  
Lyo: "Poncheus, Koncheus, appear now. There is something we must discuss..."  
  
Ponchi and Konchi materialize behind Lyo. They both have grim looks on their faces.  
  
Ponchi: "Lyo-san, what do you wish to tell us?"  
  
Konchi: "It looks like you're leaving. Where're you going?"  
  
Lyo: (coldly) "Somewhere. Somewhere I don't want you two following me to."  
  
Ponchi & Konchi: "Nani?"  
  
Konchi: "Lyo-sama, we are your guardian ghosts!"  
  
Ponchi: "We insist that we accompany you, Lyo-san!"  
  
Lyo: "Iye. You two will be good and watch Tammy-chan till I get back, understood?"  
  
Ponchi & Konchi: "Hai!" They bow down to Lyo.  
  
Lyo: "Arigato, Ponchi and Konchi. I should be back in seven days." He picks up the backpack and walks out his room.  
  
(dining room)-----  
  
Tamao, Hao, and Yoh sit around a small round table. Anna comes to the table in a moment. Hao fiddles with a carrot on his plate.  
  
Tamao: "Hao-sama, eat your veggies..."  
  
Hao: He continues to stare at the carrot and shrinks away from it. (disappointed) "Aww, oh okay..." He grabs the carrot and turns away. He pulls a small cracker out from his sleeve and crunches it in his mouth. He then holds up the carrot and stares at it. The carrot catches fire and disintegrates momentarily. He turns back to the table. (chewing) "Okay, I ate the carrot, happy?"  
  
Tamao: "Arigato, Hao-sama. That wasn't so bad, was it?"  
  
Anna: She proceeds to eat her rice. (under her breath) "cheater..."  
  
Tamao: (overhearing Anna) "Hao-sama, you've got to eat your veggies if you want to be the Shaman King someday..."  
  
Hao: He rests his elbows on the table and rests his chin on his hands.  
  
Tamao: "And it's impolite to put your elbows on the table, Hao-sama."  
  
Hao: She's less like my girlfriend and more like a Kaa-san every day... He takes his elbows off the table.  
  
Yoh: He scarfs down his rice quickly, then looks to the empty seat next to Tamao. He raises an eyebrow. (suspiciously) "Hmm, hey Tamao-sama, Anna- chan, neesama, who knows where Lyo-sama went? He's never late for anything." He points to the empty chair next to Tamao.  
  
Everyone turns their gaze to the empty chair except for Anna.  
  
Anna: _Lyo must be preparing himself. Koetsu seemed serious about the Tunnel of Tartarus... Baka no Koetsu's going to get himself killed if he goes in the tunnel..._ (unsure) "I-I'm sure he'll be coming any minute now..."  
  
Yoh: "And if not... more for me!" He reaches for the bowl of rice at the empty seat, but Anna lightly slaps his hand.  
  
Anna: (to Yoh) "He'll be here."  
  
Lyo walks past the open door to the dining room and continues on, with Ponchi and Konchi in how pursuit.  
  
Konchi and Ponchi: (begging as they walk past) "Lyo-san, don't go!"  
  
Lyo, Ponchi, and Konchi all pass by the door completely.  
  
Yoh: He lowers his chopsticks to the table and stands up. "Hmm, Lyo- sama's going somewhere?"  
  
Anna: She tugs him back down on his chair. "It's not important. Now eat your food."  
  
Tamao: She stands up and heads out the door, after Lyo. "Hey Lyo-chan, wait up!"  
  
(at the front door)-----  
  
Ponchi and Konchi continue to whimper to Lyo, trying to change his mind about something. Lyo grabs a large bamboo rod that is almost his height. He swings the stick around like a staff, ignoring Ponchi and Konchi.  
  
Ponchi: "Lyo-san!"  
  
Konchi: "We're begging you, don't go!"  
  
Tamao: She approaches slowly. (timidly whispering) "L-Lyo-chan, where are you going?"  
  
Lyo, Ponchi and Konchi all turn their attention to Tamao.  
  
Lyo: (affectionately) "Tammy-chan..." He holds out his hand. "Come here, there's something I need to tell you..."  
  
Tamao: She blushes brightly. "Lyo-chan..." She paces towards Lyo slowly and uncertainly.  
  
Lyo: (assuring) "Tammy-chan, I won't bite... Come here, Tammy-chan. This is important..."  
  
Tamao: She walks in between Ponchi and Konchi, towards Lyo. She comes about a foot in front of Lyo.  
  
Lyo: "Tammy-chan..." He leans his bamboo stick against the wall, then fiddles with something tied around his left wrist. "I, I want to give you this before I leave. Just in case..." He unties a string around his left wrist and hands a small purple stone fastened to the string to Tamao. "Take it..."  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: Their jaws hang open. (stuttering in fear) "K-K-Kokoro no Tsugchi!"  
  
Tamao: "Nani? Kokoro no Tsugchi?" She takes the stone into her hands and stares at the stone in reverence. "What's so special about this stone, Lyo- chan?"  
  
Lyo: "Kokoro no Tsugchi. It means 'heart of the stars' in Japanese. They say that when a comet hits the Earth, it releases an immense amount of spiritual energy, or mana as some call it. Kokoro no Tsugchi allows a shaman to use this energy and channel it to his or her own mana. And... I want you to have it. Just in case that..." He hesitates.  
  
Tamao: She worries about Lyo's lack of words. "Lyo-chan, is everything okay?"  
  
Lyo: "I-I..." He holds his face in his hand and trembles at the shoulders.  
  
Tamao: "Lyo-chan, arigato..." She kisses Lyo on the cheek.  
  
Lyo: He looks up at Tamao. "Tammy-chan... I'm going on a trip, and there's a good chance that I won't be coming back. S-so if I don't come back, I, I want you to know..." (stuttering) "Ai-aishteru, Tammy-chan... You've been so special to me since you came here... and I-I..." He hugs Tamao close and with tender affection.  
  
Tamao: She nods her head back and forth. (worried) "Iye, Lyo-chan, you say it as if you're not coming back..."  
  
Lyo: He continues to hold Tamao in his arms. (stuttering) "Ai-aishteru, Tammy-chan..."  
  
Tamao: "Lyo-chan, you don't have to leave..."  
  
Lyo: He breaks away from Tamao. (defiantly) "Hai, I MUST! Tammy-chan, if this works, we can be together forever, not having to fear anyone... ever again... Tammy-chan, if this works, it'll be the end of your worries, and it'll just be anata and boku, forever... Is that not worth it?"  
  
Tamao: Her eyes shoot open. (surprised) "Lyo-chan, what are you going to do?" A tear comes down her cheek.  
  
Lyo: He quickly wipes the tear off Tamao's cheek. "Tammy-chan, this isn't going to be easy, and if anything happens to me and I don't come back to you, I want you to know that I'll always love you..." Tears flow down his cheeks. He raises Tamao's hand and closes it around the purple stone in her palm. "Keep Kokoro no Tsugchi... as a way to remember me... if I fail at this..." He touches the front door with his left hand and he turns away from Ponchi, Konchi and Tamao.  
  
Tamao: She pulls him back by the shoulder. "Madamada, Lyo-chan..."  
  
Lyo: He turns around and stares Tamao in the eye.  
  
Tamao: (nervously) "I-I want to give you something to remember me by too..."  
  
Lyo: (sadly pleading) "Tammy-chan, I can't stand long goodbyes from those I love, onegai, make it quick..."  
  
Tamao: She quickly throws her arms around Lyo's neck and kisses him on the lips.  
  
Ponchi and Konchi: They stare in shock, jaws hanging wide open.  
  
Lyo: He leans in and kisses back. He then leans away. "Tammy-chan... I'll miss you..." He backs up and grabs the bamboo staff and walks out the door quickly. He proceeds into a run.  
  
Tamao: She shakes at the knees and falls to the floor and cries into her hands.  
  
Yoh, Hao and Anna pop their heads around the corner.  
  
Hao: "Uh, Tammy-chan, what happened here?"  
  
Ponchi: He turns to face Hao, Yoh and Anna. "It's Lyo-san."  
  
Konchi: He turns around. "He-"  
  
Anna: (interrupting) "Left, ne?"  
  
Ponchi & Konchi: (to Anna) "Kyoyama-san, how'd you know that?"  
  
Yoh and Hao turn their attention to Anna.  
  
Anna: She glances around the hallway with obvious guilt. "Er, well..."  
  
Yoh: "Anna-chan..."  
  
Hao: "Anna-c-"  
  
Anna: She interrupts Hao with an icy 'don't you finish that comment' look.  
  
Hao: He takes a step away from Anna. (correcting self) "I-I mean Kyoyama- san!"  
  
Anna: She raises an eyebrow. "Better..."  
  
Tamao: (timidly) "K-K-K-Kyoyama-san?"  
  
Anna: She stares towards Tamao. "Hai?"  
  
Tamao: "Kyoyama-san? Where did Lyo-chan go? You seem to know something about it, ne?"  
  
Anna: She shrugs her shoulder at Tamao. (coldly) "Lyo-sama isn't coming back..."  
  
Tamao: With tears in her eyes, she jumps towards Anna and grabs her by the shoulder. "Kyoyama-san, tell me!"  
  
Anna: She shoots a menacing glare at Tamao over her shoulder. (after a pause) "If you weren't so pathetic, you'd be without many of your teeth right now. DON'T EVER order ME around!" She slaps Tamao across the face.  
  
Tamao: She plummets to the ground as Anna strikes her across the cheek. Tears pour out her eyes.  
  
Anna: "Consider that a warning shot, since you're new here..."  
  
Yoh: He grabs Anna by the shoulder. "And now it's my turn, Anna-chan. I'm ordering you to tell me where Lyo-sama went. Tell me..."  
  
Anna: She quickly raises her left hand to strike Yoh across the cheek.  
  
Yoh: He catches her hand before getting 'the slap'.  
  
Anna: (slightly impressed) "Hmm, you're getting better..." She slaps Yoh across the cheek with her right hand. (coldly) "But not good enough."  
  
Tamao: She grabs Anna's ankle, still with tears pouring out of her eyes. "Kyoyama-san... Please... tell me... Where did Lyo-chan go?" She stares at Anna with the 'puppy dog eyes'.  
  
Anna: She stares down at Tamao, trying to keep a straight face. (calmly) "Lyo-sama... He's going to... the Tunnel... The Tunnel of Tartarus..."  
  
Tamao: "Tunnel of Tartarus? Where's that?"  
  
Hao and Yoh: Confused, they stare at each other.  
  
Anna: "It's, it's too far away. Even if you left now, you'd never catch Lyo in time..."  
  
Hao: (defiantly) "I will."  
  
Anna, Yoh, Tamao, Ponchi and Konchi: They stare at Hao in shock. "Nani?!"  
  
Tamao: "Hao-sama, you'll never make it!"  
  
Hao: "I'm gonna' try!" (to Anna) "Anna-sama, where is the Tunnel of Tartarus?"  
  
Anna: "On the other side of the forest, there's a large lake, with multiple canoes. Take one of the canoes and follow the current to the blackest cave there. That's the Tunnel of Tartarus. You'll know it when you see it."  
  
Hao: He immediately runs out the door. "Got it, through the forest, follow the current!" Current, lake... I HATE WATER! I'd better hurry up before Lyo gets to the docks!  
  
(at the edge of the lake)-----  
  
Lyo emerges from the forest, carrying his bamboo stick like a walking stick. He sees a dock that leads over a large lake that leads into some mountains. At the dock, a single canoe is held onto the dock with an old rope. Jumping into the boat, he pulls out the swiss army knife from his backpack and proceeds to sever the rope while in the boat. As he cuts the last thread of the rope, Hao comes out from the forest.  
  
Hao: "Lyo-kun, stop it!"  
  
Lyo: He glances up at Hao. (stoically) "Hao, shiyano, don't give me that 'Lyo-kun' nonsense! You know that there's nothing higher on your 'things to do' list than to have Tammy-chan to yourself, Kisama." He severs the rope completely.  
  
Hao: He runs to the dock at full speed, being careful not to fall in the water. "Lyo-kun..."  
  
Lyo: "I SAID don't give me that!"  
  
Hao: He giggles to himself. "Hey Skyboy, I'll be frank with you. You're the last one I'd think that would throw away their life for the love of anyone."  
  
Lyo: His canoe drifts away from the dock. (coldly) "Funny, your actions don't surprise me at all. Goodbye, kisama, I'll see you in seven days..."  
  
Hao: "Lyo-kun... Gomen, Lyo-kun... I-I-I didn't know that you liked Tammy- chan... I thought it would be the same as when Anna came to live with us, where you'd just keep away from her out of being so uneasy around girls..."  
  
Lyo: His canoe drifts even further away. (coldly) "Right, kisama, you didn't think AT ALL! Tammy-chan is so special to me, and I don't want to see you hurt her like you did to Anna. So since then, I could never consider you 'Hao-kun' anymore. But only now have I realized that I have to worry about you. And about you hurting Tammy-chan... I love her, and you can't take that because you never knew real love at all..."  
  
Hao: (apologetically) "I, hey Lyo-kun, gomen. I didn't think that you would love Tammy-chan, and that she'd learn that the hard way. So I tried to keep you away, I was wrong. But please, come back, Lyo-kun, and we can put this whole thing behind us..."  
  
Lyo: (right before the boat leaves sight range, shouting) "TOO LATE!" The boat disappears behind the mountains.  
  
Hao: He reaches out to Lyo's boat as it disappears beyond the mountains. "Lyo-kun!"  
  
(A/N: Japanese dictionary update:

-yaki soba: a kind of Japanese pancake / pizza

-kun: suffix, used when referring to a good friend.

-onegai: please -hentai: pervert, being perverted

-'kokoro no tsugchi': 'heart of the stars', 'will of the stars'

-'nani ga umalelu': 'What will happen?"  
  
This is really taking a turn to Hao Tamao. Not that that's bad, on the contrary, I like it. But more to the point,


	7. Gone!

(A/N: Here I am again, at long last, I WILL finish 'Why So Shy Tamao' even if it means that I finish NOTHING ELSE! Oh, and I think my Japanese dictionary is just about done, so I don't really need to post anything else. Besides, I've noticed that many of you all use Japanese in your own fics, so you're aware of what most of this means already. So without further ado, here it is: Chapter 7: GONE)  
  
Chapter 7: Gone!  
  
Back at the mansion, Hao arrives home, without Lyo following him. He comes to the front gate, trudging with despair, to where Yoh, Anna, and Tamao wait for him.  
  
Hao: (Depressed) "Lyo, Lyo-kun, he's gone. All we can do now is wait..."  
  
Tamao: "H-Hao-kun, you're not serious, are you?" She holds her hands over her face and shakes at the shoulders. She begins crying into her hands.  
  
Hao: He places an arm around Tamao's shoulder and leads her inside.  
  
Yoh: He reaches to Tamao to try and help her back into the house.  
  
Anna: She swats Yoh's hand away and glares at Yoh with a 'don't you try it' expression on her face.  
  
Hao: (attempting comforting) "Tamao-kun, it'll be okay. Lyo's not dead. He'll come out of the tunnel someday..."  
  
Anna: She drags Yoh inside by his collar and shuts the door after Yoh is tugged in completely.  
  
(Yoh's and Anna's room)-----  
  
Yoh takes a seat on his bed, the bed on the left with the dark blue sheets. Anna comes into the room and shuts the door behind her, then takes a seat on her bed, the one with the right with the bright red sheets.  
  
Anna: She pulls her knees up to her chin and closes her eyes, trying to forget what had just happened. _Lyo went to the tunnel. Tamao must be devastated. Nobody leaves that tunnel, despite what Hao is trying to tell Tamao..._ She sighs.  
  
Yoh: He stretches out over his bed. "Hey, Anna-chan, something on your mind?"  
  
Anna: She turns away from Yoh and curls up into a ball. "Iye, Yoh-chan. It's just been a long day..."  
  
Yoh: "Nani, Anna-chan? Was it something Lyo said when he pulled you aside?" He leans back on his bed.  
  
Anna: _Yoh-chan... If that was you who went into that tunnel, anata, I wouldn't know the first thing to do... I feel really guilty for telling Lyo about the tunnel. It's partially my fault for Tamao being so sad. I know that if Yoh went into the tunnel, I'd cry my eyes out in my room all alone..._ She closes her eyes. (whispering) "Yoh-chan, let me take a rest, okay?"  
  
Yoh: He lays on his bed and snores loudly.  
  
Anna: She grins lightly and stares at Yoh over her shoulder. _You're so sweet, Yoh-chan... I can't wait for the day when you are finally crowned Shaman King..._ She closes her eyes and drifts away to sleep.  
  
(Hao's room)-----  
  
Hao takes a seat on his bed and leans back, throwing his cape to the ground. He shoots a glare at an unilt candle on a nearby table, and the candle catches fire and illuminates the room. He stares up at the ceiling and puts his hands behind his head, lounging back. A light knocking can be heard at his door.  
  
Hao: (to the one knocking at the door) "Oji-san? Ototou? Anna-sama? Who is it?"  
  
Voice: (stuttering) "T-T-Tamao..."  
  
Hao: He jumps off his bed and dons his cape quickly. He approaches the door to open it. He is astonished at what he sees.  
  
Tamao: She stands timidly at the doorway, with her arms at her sides. She stares up at Hao. (stuttering) "H-H-Hao-s-sama?"  
  
Hao: " I said that you could call me Hao-chan."  
  
Tamao: "Well, hai but... m-my room is so cold and dark, and, I was wondering if-if-"  
  
Hao: (interrupting) "Wanna' come in?"  
  
Tamao: Her face lights up bright red. "I-I uh..." (meekly) "...onegai?"  
  
Hao: (cheerily) "Hai, Tamao-kun." He takes Tamao's hand and pretty much drags Tamao into his room.  
  
Tamao: (nervously) "Y-you can call me Tammy-chan. Lyo-chan always used to do that..."  
  
Hao: He bites his lip and swallows hard before saying his next statement. (nervously) "Well, Lyo-kun will call you that again when he gets back..."  
  
Tamao: "Y-you think so, Hao-Hao...chan?"  
  
Hao: He continues to pull Tamao along, to his bed, where the two take a seat.  
  
A long pause ensues.  
  
Tamao: (breaking the silence) "Hao-chan, did you see Lyo before he went into the tunnel?"  
  
Hao: "Hai. I did."  
  
Tamao: "Did he say anything?"  
  
Hao: "He said lots of things. But I don't think that's what you were getting at..."  
  
Tamao: "I wasn't... What else did he say?"  
  
Hao: "He kept going on and on about how... how he would come back to you... maybe."  
  
Tamao: Her enthusiasm slowly begins to increase. "Really?"  
  
Hao: "Hai, Tammy-chan..."  
  
Tamao: (meekly) "Oh, Lyo-chan..."  
  
Hao: "Lyo-kun's realy something, ne?"  
  
Tamao: A small tear trickles down her cheek. "Sosa... Hao-chan..."  
  
Hao: "Hai, Lyo said something else too."  
  
Tamao: She glances up at Hao quickly. "Nani? What did he say?"  
  
Hao: He stares down, into his lap. (nervously) "He said that... that I would repel you... in the future..." He looks up at Tamao. "Gomen, Tammy- chan..."  
  
Tamao: "Nani? For what? What happened?"  
  
Hao: He balls up a fist. "For... the complete baka I've been! Tammy-chan, when you first came here, I immediately dismissed Lyo-kun's affections for you as being non-existant, and I denied it when it became evident... I shouldn't have tried to monopolize your love, gomen Tammy-kun, can you forgive me? Onegai?" He looks up into Tamao's eyes, begging her for forgiveness.  
  
Tamao: She stares back at Hao in shock at first, but suddenly cracks a grin. "Hao-chan, I tell you what: I'll forgive you if... if..."  
  
Hao: "Anything, Tammy-kun..."  
  
Tamao: She stares at the door out the corner of her eye. "Uh, Ponchi and Konchi have been harassing me, saying that Lyo-chan isn't coming back. They're such bakas..."  
  
Hao: He snaps his fingers. (enthusiastically) "Done. You just say the word and I'll make it look like they learned a valuable lesson about playing with matches..." The candle in the room begins to burn brighter.  
  
Tamao: She tugs at Hao's arm. "Yamado, Hao-chan, no more hurting, onegai..." She pulls on Hao's arm.  
  
Hao: (anime sigh) "Well, nani then?"  
  
Tamao: "They're so convincing, it's so hard to believe that Lyo is still alive. Could you take me to the Tunnel of Tartarus in a while so that I can see Lyo-chan right as he comse out of the tunnel?" She stares into Hao's eyes with 'that' sad look.  
  
Hao: He stares back at her and cracks a grin. "Hai, Tammy-chan. It's a deal. Lyo-kun said that it would take a week for him to make it through the tunnel, so we'll head to the tunnel exit in a week, I promise you."  
  
Tamao: "Arigato, Hao-chan..." She leans her head on Hao's shoulder and closes her eyes.

Hao: He throws his cape around Tamao and hugs her close to his bare chest. (A/N: Every fangirl's dream... Oh, quit slobbering on your keyboards already!)

(A/N: Okay, shorter than last chapter. But that's because the last chapter was a merging of one _very_ _short_ chapter into one _very long_ chapter. Gomen if this detracted from the quality of the chapter...

Oh, and by the way, while on the subject of last chapter, if some of you have noticed, Why So Shy reports having gotten 12 reviews as of last chapter, but only 11 reviews are posted on the review listing. If you sent in a review for last chapter, but your review isn't posted, could you please try re-sending that review for the last chapter? Arigato, I really wanna' see what you think of this fic. Though I've got a pretty good idea of who sent it...)


End file.
